Prince Harry apologises for 'racist' remarks

LONDON  Britain's Prince Harry is coming under criticism from lawmakers, Muslim groups and the Pakistani public for video footage of him using offensive and racist language.

Harry, who's third in line to the British throne, has apologized after the News of The World published the footage.

Harry reportedly made the remarks in 2006 during a visit to Cyprus to carry out training exercises with fellow military cadets.

Harry is heard to refer to one colleague as "our little paki friend'  using a derogatory term for people of Pakistani origin. In a second clip, Harry calls another cadet  who was wearing a headscarf  a "raghead."

Harry has previously acknowledged drinking underage and smoking marijuana. In January 2005, he apologized after being pictured in a newspaper at a costume party dressed as a Nazi, complete with a swastika armband

Prince Harry has been forced to apologise after a video emerged in the national press of him appearing to use a racist term to describe a soldier colleague.

The News of the World also claims that the third in line to the throne mocks the Queen while acting out a mobile phone call to her in front of other cadets at a Cyprus field camp.
Last night Clarence House issued an apology for his behaviour.
"Prince Harry fully understands how offensive this term can be - and is extremely sorry for any offence his words might cause," said a spokesman.
"However, on this occasion three years ago, Prince Harry used the term without any malice and as a nickname about a highly popular member of his platoon.
"There is no question that Prince Harry was in any way seeking to insult his friend."
The Ministry of Defence said: This sort of language is not acceptable in a modern army.
The video is believed to have been made just a year after Harry was shamed for wearing a Nazi swastika, hired from a Nailsworth fancy dress shop, at a fancy dress party. He was forced to apologise for the choice of costume.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Equality and Human Rights Commission said the group would be investigating.
"These appear to be disturbing allegations and we will be asking the Ministry of Defence to see the evidence, share their investigation with us and their plans for dealing with it," he said.
And a spokesman for the Muslim Council of Great Britain said: It beggars belief that Prince Harry did not realise just how crude and offensive such a remark is.
"The army is looking to recruit from minority communities and this kind of remark will not help the impression that the army is one of the last refuges of prejuidice towards minorities."